84 POPULAR HISTORY OF THE AQUARIUM. 



At Mr. Warrington''s I saw what appeared to me a very 

 curious pheiiomeuon, — an Actinia mesemhryanthemum with 

 a double head, both heads on the same plane; the body 

 seemed to be entirely one, with an oval basal disc, and no 

 sign of separation up to the very edge of the leathery cover- 

 ing ; but the upper disc formed two complete circles, sur- 

 rounded each by its proper set of tentacles, and each with 

 its central mouth. It is observed, that when a considerable 

 morsel of food is presented to an ordinary Actinia, some 

 slight agitation may be observed even among the most 

 remote tentacles, as if they were in some degree conscious 

 of what was going forward, and held themselves in readi- 

 ness to give assistance if required. But in order to show 

 the complete duality of the upper part of his two-lieaded 

 specimen, Mr. Warrington fed first one, then the other, in 

 my presence. When the morsel was brought near the ten- 

 tacles on the outer part of one circle, and they were busy 

 securing it, the other tentacles of that circle showed some 

 degree of alertness; but not a feeler of the other circle 

 stirred. When the twin head received its honne houche, we 

 could then see both independently engaged in securing and 

 devouring their meal. We have heard of twin babies turn- 

 ing out to be a capital speculation in the family of some 



